LPG, CNG shortage hits Chennai auto-rickshaws; long queues at fuel stations

The ongoing fuel supply disruption linked to the West Asia conflict is beginning to affect Chennairsquos transport sector with thousands of autorickshaw drivers facing difficulties in refuelling LPG and CNG vehicles and commuters paying higher fares across the cityAuto drivers said the shortage has forced them to wait for long hours at gas stations while supplies have become irregular in recent daysAccording to union representatives nearly a quarter of autorickshaws running on gas were unable to refill on Tuesday raising concerns that the situation could worsen if supply does not improve ldquoNearly 25 per cent of autos running on gas could not get a refill yesterday If the shortage continues the number will certainly increaserdquo said S Balasubramaniam state working president of the Tamil Nadu Auto Thozhilalargal SammelanamDrivers said that apart from the supply shortage overcharging at several private outlets has become a major problem LPG officially priced at Rs 5941 per kg is reportedly being sold at Rs 70 Rs 80 per kg in some places Even at oil company outlets the price has increased to Rs 6451 per kg ldquoOvercharging has become unavoidable because the fuel cost itself has gone up for us We are left with no option but to slightly increase fares to surviverdquo Balasubramaniam addedMany drivers who had shifted to gas vehicles to reduce expenses said they are now being forced to rely on petrol due to the shortage of CNG and LPG ldquoI chose CNG because it offered better mileage and was cheaper But now itrsquos very hard to find I have switched to petrol temporarily which reduces my earningsrdquo said K Rajesh an auto driver in the cityThe problem has also affected commuters who say auto fares have increased in several parts of Chennai ldquoA ride from Chennai Central to Egmore now costs about Rs 40 more than beforerdquo said Vignesh Kumar a commuter Another passenger said the usual Rs 130 fare from Aynavaram to Koyambedu has risen to nearly Rs 180Drivers waiting at filling stations said the queues have grown longer as supplies arrive in smaller quantities ldquoIt now takes almost two hours to refill the gas I usually come early in the morning to avoid the rush but even then the supply is uncertainrdquo said S Dinesh who had been waiting at a station in MadipakkamFuel station operators said they are also facing losses due to the reduced supply A manager at the GO Gas LPG filling station in Little Mount said the outlet had remained closed for two days because of the shortage causing losses of nearly Rs one lakh per day ldquoFive of our outlets had to remain shut due to a lack of supply If this situation continues it will affect both our business and auto driversrdquo the manager saidAnother LPG station on Mount Road may also close temporarily once its existing stock runs out ldquoOur current stock may be exhausted by Wednesday night Until fresh loads arrive the station will remain closedrdquo the station manager saidUnion representatives said the shortage is worsened by the limited number of LPG dispensing outlets in Chennai The city has around 40000 LPGrun autos and nearly 20000 CNGrun autos but only a small number of stations are equipped to dispense LPGldquoOnly about 13 bunks in Chennai can install LPG tanks because safety rules require a minimum distance of around 500 feet from petrol and diesel storage tanks A few standalone gas bunks have opened in recent years but they are still not enough to meet demandrdquo Balasubramaniam saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever